snowy's tatting

Passive-aggressive lace

2011-12-26T18:52:00.000+01:00

At the beginning of December I had a lace lesson, I knew I did, but when I had driven all the way over to the teacher's house, (1hr's drive) she said I was mistaken, and that I was supposed to ring her to say whether it was this day or the following week. I knew that I wouldn't have said that, because I have fixed off-duty, but I didn't really say what I felt, I just drove away, feeling all upset. When I got home I ripped off the lace angel we had been working on, I hate sodding angels anyway, I never chose to make an angel, and also removed the heart that I finished tant bien que mal, and started this motif.

I am using the book by Pamela Nottingham, and doing as well as I can, all the time being aware that being passive-aggressive is probably not the way forward if I want to improve my technique. Oh well, give me time, and I will probably get over it! I have yet to finish it properly, but I am quite pleased none-the-less.

Nothing happening here.

2011-11-08T13:57:00.001+01:00

All I have available to show is this heart. I can't work out quite how to do the final bit, I need to join three pinholes, and throw out some pairs...it needs a bit of concentration.
At lace class yesterday they mentioned that IKEA sells tables that are ideal for lacemaking at 19.90 €, what a good idea!
I will try to update when I get back from visiting my mother in the UK. The outer row of the clover doily was chewed by my puppy, and had to be cut off. Luckily the centre wasn't damaged.
Yes-U-can doily, I have done 2 motifs on the next row... a bit bored with that now, I will try to get on with it at a later date.

Losing the thread

2011-10-08T19:54:00.001+02:00

I am always so mean when I wind a shuttle that this kind of thing happens all the time. I need to wind a new shuttle just one repeat from the end.... I will, I will, but not right now.

Here is a long bit of beaded tatting which I started, but then found I didn't quite have enough beads... I may work out a solution, or I may just give up.

Then a couple of weeks ago Fox shared some thread, Finca 16 in bright colours, which inspired me to start something new.

I have made a square...

and also started the Yes-U-Can doily challenge on in-tatters.

Corinne's doily, second round

2011-09-18T12:20:00.000+02:00

I know I said I didn't want to continue with these threads, but on the way back from Perpignan, puppy was quiet in her corner, and so I pulled out my tatting bag, and found I only had these threads, also no pattern. I was able to download round two with my phone...which seems to me to be amazing. I am afraid I did have a bit of difficulty interpreting it on my phone screen, and so the stitch count may be a bit off, also am I the only person who finds Sulky thread almost impossible to un-tat? It starts to fray very quickly, and I am scared it will snap, so I just carry on even when I have made a mistake, repeating it, if necessary to prevent it from being too obvious.

Here is the puppy, watching me in the car. She is amazingly good, no messing in the house, and no crying at night. She and Bess get on fairly well, although Bess can a tad bouncy for such a tiny pup.
The other photo shows the two of them together.

Brief update, with Corinne's motif

2011-09-13T22:20:00.000+02:00

I recently received a' nudge' from a friend, (*waves*) and so I am just posting briefly to let you know that I am still alive.
I haven't done much tatting. and really nothing of interest at all. I can't remember where I was with this doily last time I posted, but I guess that I am a bit further on. The thread is not nice to use, and it is pretty grubby, but there seems no point in washing it till it is finished, and because I don't like the thread I am not so motivated to keep on going. Hey ho.
I have otherwise just done scraps of edgings or else old motifs that I know by heart, to keep my hands busy when I am listening. I have finished the mental health course, but I am about to take the final exams for a French course that I am doing. It helps to tat when I am listening to lectures.

This motif first came to my notice on Fox's page, it was designed by Corinne. She has invited tatters to give it a try, and so I finally came out of retirement to have a go. These threads are Güttermann Sulky, and they were not what I would have chosen, they just happened to be on my shuttles. I should have re-scanned because the colours are brighter than this, but it's late and I don't want to disturb the man. I see on her blog that now there is more to add, but I think I will start again in a better choice of threads...these don't do justice to the form.
Tomorrow we are going to Perpignan to fetch a puppy.

Hello there...

2011-02-19T15:45:00.001+01:00

I haven't been blogging anywhere, and I had pretty much decided to give it up, especially as I had bought a new computer and it didn't seem to want to link with my old scanner printer. However I needed to print something and so was obliged to spend a bit more time and thought on the problem, and voilà, I now have it working perfectly.
First piece, this is from Adelheid Dangela's book "Occhi Patchwork". The book is in German, but the patterns are diagrammed, and easy to follow. The idea is that each pattern is named after a German town, and you can join together all patterns that begin with same letter. Here I have done Duisburg and Dresden. The thread is a size 100 lace thread in a very dark blue. It isn't really ideal for tatting...however I do like the look of it. I rather fear that my tension is a bit off, because Dresden is a bit bigger than Duisburg, and in a bigger piece it would be difficult to continue. I might try again with a more biddable thread, because I like the general aesthetics of the patchwork design.
Now although I haven't been posting, and I very rarely comment on other people's blogs, I do check out many tatting blogs every day. I love seeing the work and hearing little insights in their lives. One of my favourites is Tat-ology, and it was reading Fox's blog that was the final nudge to get me to post again. She is so energetic, and updates nearly every day.

Now this strip is an old piece of tatting but I am including it because I was struck by the way Fox had chosen to do the same pattern from Julia Saunders book! This is in Valdani size 50.

Then I saw that Fox had also chosen to do this pattern from Mary Konior's book Tatting Patterns which I received for Christmas. It was an odd little motif, and I was surprised at myself for choosing it, so it was extra weird when she chose to do it too. This is made in lovely DMC dentelles, which are really my absolute comfort zone thread.

And just to finish off, here is another motif from the same book, this time in Gütermann Sulky thread.
I wonder if anyone else notices that someone else has chosen the same pattern as them.

How cool is this?

2010-11-03T18:16:00.000+01:00

I may need to give some back story for this, to explain why I am so pleased to have found and made my own brain cell. I left school at 16, partly through my own fault, so I never got to University. When I trained to be a nurse it was a very practical training, we had a couple of weeks in school learning how to fold your cap, and make beds with hospital corners and pillow slips opening away from the door of the ward and then we were out there, learning on real patients. It was great fun, but no-one saw nurses as intellectuals. Deep down, however, that is what I believed that I was, and it rankled. Still, in no time I had two children, and then we moved to France, where I had to work full time. Life carried on, but finally in 2006 I decided to put my money where my mouth was, and enrolled at the Open University and began a degree course in the Humanities. I am now about halfway through. It was much harder than I had imagined, and I realised I was not quite as clever as I had imagined. It does however, feel like a worthwhile thing to accomplish, and I really enjoy the discipline and the challenge.
It's taking a long time because
a) I am still a full time nurse, with a house and family, and
b) the courses are expensive so I can only afford about one a year.
Anyway, this year I am doing a course about Mental Health*, and last week I was studying the biology of the brain, synapses, neuro-transmitters, re-uptake inhibitors and action potentials. During a break I was reading a post on In-Tatters, followed a link, and there was Martha Ess's pattern for a brain cell! It felt like serendipity, and so I had to tat it right away, and then I wanted to share it, but no-one around me is at all impressed....so I am showing it to you.
*What has Mental Health got to do with the Humanities, you ask? Well, absolutely nothing, but I am allowed a certain number of points outside my subject, and my employers are paying for this course, so it gives me 30 points towards my degree, free, plus it is interesting and relevant for my work, which is dealing with alcoholics.

Doing things for the first time!

2010-10-31T20:37:00.000+01:00

Here are a couple of motifs, which normally I would be ashamed to share. However, today I am showing you them because they each contain six clunies and two split chains. I had watched Elisa carefully, and with a little help from Jane's instruction page I did it. I will need a lot more practice before I can produce them with the speed and accuracy of Elisa, but only by practising will I get to that. These are my first, and already I see some improvement between the first and the second.

Here we have another first, because I "designed " this square myself. OK, it's nothing to be so pleased about... but I was sitting in a boring meeting at work, doodling in my notebook, and I drew this. I thought "You could tat that..." and so I worked out a stitch count, and here it is. I never thought I would ever make my own design, and now I have! So I am quite pleased. The pattern should fit with repeats to make a larger square, which is something I might try sometime, for now I am off to watch the latest episode of Downton Abbey, (secret sin!)

My Purchases

2010-10-21T18:19:00.000+02:00

I thought you might like to see what I bought. Here you can see some Puy bobbins, fifty bobbins made of Olive wood, only 39€! Some DMC speciale dentelles in shades of red/pink. A ball of Venus in green, which was a mistake because it is so tangly, whenever you tighten the rings it all knots up. There are also two balls of a new make of thread.

I bought this light with a magnifier, and I am really pleased with it. It is battery powered and I can have it on my lap to check the number of stitches on the finest and darkest threads. I bought some key rings and a little pot in order to show case my tatting...it sort of seemed like a good idea. I also bought some finer hooks, as well as special needles for joining, beading and split chains.

These are special picot pins, slightly thicker than ordinary lacemaking pins, and you can't find them very easily. These were from a German supplier.

Of course I couldn't resist a couple more books for the library!

These are some beads....I know I don't often use beads, but the blue and the black were small enough to go on size 80 thread, the others are to do the eyes on the sea horses. The white thread is size 120 for the Honiton, when I eventually get around to doing it!

And this is some of the work I have been doing, while trying to improve my skills. The Mary Konior cross is done in the new thread, which was sold as an 80, but I felt it tatted up much more like a 100. The green was that darned Venus, but the clunies are in DMC so there are no excuses there for me to blame the thread! You do need to click on this one to see it properly.

Le Couvige, part 2

2010-10-16T17:56:00.000+02:00

So, here is Elisadusud, and she was working on a cluny-split chain combination, to show me how. I have since done a few somewhat misshapen clunies, which I am too ashamed to show anyone, but I now understand a little better how to do them. The split chain, however, is still on the to-do list.

This is a rather poor photo of Elisadusud's work, which is really impressive, but even if you click on it twice, I am not sure if you will really be able to see it clearly.

This one might be a little bit better.

And then my camera battery failed, aaggh! I had to take these photos with my phone, and so they are very poor. This is Pascale Provost, whose patterns I have tried several times. She was teaching, and I was really happy to have her constructive criticism. It is difficult to learn without an expert to tell you where you are going wrong, but I hope you will see an improvement in my work from now on! Even if no-one else does, I will, I know.
I have challenged myself to produce a piece from both designers for examination next year. (Elisa sells patterns of her designs, with explanations, for those who fancy a challenge.)

This is Pascal's last book, which I already have, but a new one is in progress. It was fun to see both of them discussing techniques and designs together. Here in France meeting with other tatters is fairly difficult, so I was really enjoying myself and definitely plan to go again, I hope next year.

This is Petalite, which is a pattern I tried about a month ago, but this one is properly finished.
Pascale showed me how to get from one split ring to another with beads, which does require one shuttle to be unwound and threaded through, however it is still less fuss with ends that cutting and tying.
I have been busy trying my new skills, but I haven't anything impressive to show, as yet. I also spent rather too much money... I will maybe show my purchases next time.

Le Couvige

2010-10-13T13:34:00.000+02:00

According to my book "La Dentelle du Puy" Lacemakers don't enjoy working alone, hence the tradition of coming together in groups; un couvige (from the Latin cum vicinis: with the neighbours) In the days when the mothers and daughters throughout the area around Le Puy all were involved in lacemaking these were frequent occaisions, but now they are rare but none the less enjoyable for that. The couvige at Blavozy was my first experience of such a gathering, and I had a wonderful time.
Le Puy is an interesting place for anyone to visit. The long drive through the Massif Central was picturesque.

When I saw a poster in a window it was reassuring.

This is the cupola of the Vervaine building. and below is the nightime skyline. You need to click on the photos to see them properly.

This is how it looked when I entered the hall.

Here you can see people working on their lace, and showing their best pieces.

This man is doing Tambour work, which is so well shown in the beautiful film Brodeuses . Do watch it if you love French countryside and embroidery.

He is working from the back of the work, this is what it looks like on the right side.

This is Mick Fouriscot presenting the conference. She has been working to further the continuation of the many kinds of lace making in France since 1974, based in Le Puy. She is also very funny, quite a character. The conference was interesting, but much more about the history of prostitutes than lace.

All kinds of bobbins were available.

I thought this patchwork a very effective way of displaying the lace.

There was a stall selling antique and vintage sewing materiels.

Including a book and a couple of bone shuttles, and I was quite tempted....

There was also this, someone's amazing work in progress, which was really pretty, and a bit sad that it will probably never be finished.

And also a hanky, probably made by the same person.

When Saturday was over I went back to the town, looking for food. I hadn't ordered lunch, and there hadn't been any sandwiches left so all I had eaten all day was a croissant and several cups of coffee! I looked at the local speciality macaroons.

And these cute cakey things!

However, in the end I settled for this salad with smoked salmon, local Bleu d'Auvergne cheese, and hiding underneath all that some Lentilles du Puy, with a baked potato and creme fraiche. Tomorrow I will tell you about meeting with other tatters, and you will get to see Elisadusud actually working on a point d'espirit!

Motifs from Mme Dilmont

2010-10-04T12:14:00.002+02:00

This weekend I had some quiet time at work, and so I had a go at some of the motifs from the booklet. I really like this one and think it might look good as an earring? If I did it again I would adjust the stitch count as I had to add a few on the last joins to make it meet up. It would also be better with a split ring to climb out as the cut and sewn in ends show on this fine thread. (Cartier Bresson, fil au fouet, size 70)

Here are two more from the same page, I am especially proud of the needlelace centre on the blue motif, which I did without instructions, just by looking at the photo. Ok it's not perfect, but I did it!
Next weekend I have decided to do the five and a half hour drive to Le Puy for the couvige. I have sent back the papers, and put myself down to do a tatting workshop, and for the lecture "Dentelles et les filles de joie" (Lace and ladies of pleasure) which sounds fun! I ought to be economising, but I rather fear that my good intentions will be as nothing when I see the stands. I wonder if anyone wants to see photos?

Some pictures of my progress

2010-10-01T17:50:00.000+02:00

This is the Oeillets doily, with all the small motifs. I haven't done anything for a while.

The gilt frame is finished, ends and all. Now, what to do with it?

These are my first sea horses, from Jane's lovely pattern. The first one I did, the tail went the wrong way, but the second one is fine. These are made in DMC pearl size 8, which I have never used before, and are for David. His father's regiment had a sea horse motif, and he has asked for more of these. The pattern is quite simple, but the beads make it a little bit fiddly. Still, I don't think it will be too much to make him another three.

I am showing this edging from the booklet, for Tattingrid, who is looking for hanky edgings. This one is in the vintage DMC 70 thread, and I think it would look good on a handkerchief. There isn't a corner in the book, I would think it would be possible to do one, though.

Trying to keep up to date

2010-09-19T22:25:00.000+02:00

I am trying to keep tatting, and reading the forum on In-tatters has been quite good motivation. I thought it would be a good idea to challenge myself to post once a week, no matter what I had or had not achieved. So please don't be surprised that nothing much has changed since last time. :)

So the gilt frame has moved a few repeats, still four more to do.

The Oeillets doily has now five small and two large carnation motifs added to the centre.At first I thought it would be best to work the motifs one by one but I soon discovered it would be best to do the small motifs first and add the longer ones afterwards.

Look what arrived in the post! Another package from les Greniers de BD, a box of thread, and this lovely original booklet from the 1920's.

a page of patterns

a page of edgings

Look at these plates, I want to try some of these patterns very soon.

Trying out some vintage thread

2010-09-10T10:00:00.000+02:00

Wandering around the net I came upon this site selling thread. I couldn't resist buying some even though it works out quite expensive, because I have more balls than I can ever use! Still, the first box turned up last week.

These are DMC 70 in mysotis (forget me not). I saw on In-tatters that 70 was the same size as 80 in an older scale, and it certainly would seem that way. It matches with the pink I bought at the brocante, so maybe I need to find a way of using them together....

In the package was also some Cartier Bresson fil au fouet size 60. I don't think it is such a good tatting thread, but to be sure I began a doiley with it.

Here are the first three rounds of "Oeillets" from one of my french tatting books.

I am also making the celtic edging from Rozella Linden's book, but have stopped for the moment, as I need to join a new thread.... Here it is from a photo I took last week, but I have got a bit further now. The thread is "Golden Glow" and was a present from Lace-making librarian. I feel that the combination gives the impression of a gilt picture frame, no?

Blogging again

2010-08-28T12:55:00.000+02:00

I have been offline for several weeks....things have been a bit crappy. I didn't feel like talking to anyone, but as my job requires me to do so, I just avoided the computer as much as possible instead! I did tat though, it is good therapy for shattered nerves, I think.
I completed the jewelled square, with Miranda's thread and Fox's beads.

Pascale Provost's pattern 'Pétalite'

There was enough thread left on the shuttles to make the oval rose from Sharon's book.

Sharon Brigg's pattern 'Oval Rose'

I then decided, inspired by the pretty beads to make a gecko in the brown and green thread. I wound too much onto my shuttles, and so I made two of them! I am always getting the pattern slightly wrong, so even though I now have three they are all different!

Jane Eborall's pattern, 'Pamela's gecko'

I have at last finished my lace pillow and actually made a little sample of lace on it. This pattern is very simple, and is made in DMC 80.

I love the way cats are always so helpful.

not sure why there's such a big gap under this picture, oh the mysteries of 'Blogger'

This is the edging once it has been removed from the pillow.

I have also been tatting an edging, Mary Konior's 'Maids of honour', which is a good one to do because one shuttle goes a long, long way. I have done all this and have still a nearly full Shuttleshop shuttle, (which means it's not the biggest one I have.) David's daughter is getting married next year, and a tatted handkerchief seems to be called for, so I will probably use this pattern for that, only in white of course.

Mary Konior's pattern 'Maids of Honour', first row.

I have been making things...except nothing seems quite finished!

2010-07-24T17:06:00.000+02:00

After the lace class I wanted to have my own traveling roller pillow, and when I asked Elly where she bought hers from she said she made them. She said she didn't have a pattern, she just made it up with bits she had around, so I juggled some ideas around on an envelope, and with much help from David, I made this! (For some reason I cannot get the photos to stay where I want them today!)

This is what it looked like once it had been stuffed with straw.

This is the basic wooden framework.

Another view of the stuffed frame.

And here we are with the beginnings of the fabric cover, and the roller, covered with an old felted sweater.

I have also been trying the new threads I received via the thread exchange. This square lacks the final round, because I find split chains so difficult! I have decided to cut and tie, after making two really miserable attempts on the first two rounds.

Magnolia HDT made into Meadow Square from the book by Sharon Briggs.

This "star" from Mary Konior's Tatting Patterns is made from Pear Glacé sent by Miranda.

Trying to tat with beads.

Fox very kindly sent some beads and a threader thing, so despite the fact I am not very good at that sort of thing I began this motif by Pascale Provost...it is made in the size 80 Majestic colour Teal from Miranda. I think the beads compliment the colour very well. :) Despite the threader, (which I lost, when we had a thunderstorm and I had to bring my stuff in, in a hurry) I find wriggling the beads onto the picots extremely fiddly, I can't help feeling I must be doing it wrong.

Camomile from Tatting Patterns by Mary Konior

This edging is called Camomile, and is made using some vintage thread I found on a market stall. It is DMC special dentelles size 70, and a pretty pinky colour. I bought several threads, but when I looked at them once I was home I wasn't sure how useful any of them might be for tatting. Still, I will probably try them all in time.

My first ever lace lesson!

2010-06-26T22:03:00.000+02:00

Today at Caniac le Causse I met with four other keen lacemaking students for a day of learning picots with Elly, our teacher.

For some reason I can't write beneath the photos, so I hope no-one needs any explanations.
The day was wonderful, we sat upstairs in the morning, learning three methods of doing picots, then ate a delicious lunch outside, a carrot flan with Cabecou goat's cheese drizzled with saffron oil, green salad with a sprig of fennel, whole walnuts, cherries, pears and cocktail tomatoes. (All local produce) For pudding I had lemon cake, and to drink, home made iced tea with lemon.
In the afternoon we sat under the trees and did various samples, Marie-Amelie did two! My piece is the one on its own...I finished last. :(
My tatting was admired and the others voiced an interest in learning how to do it, so maybe we can organise a tatting day sometime soon.

Getting it wrong

2010-06-23T09:00:00.000+02:00

I haven't been doing much tatting recently, but I have finished my edging for the sachet. Of course making the actual sachet hasn't yet come to pass! Then I had another go at one of Sharon's patterns. And got it wrong. :(
This was going to be the square motif, but for a square the rose needed eight petals. I didn't work that out until I was working the green bit and needed to make a corner. The problem for me is I tend to glance at a pattern and memorise it, because I don't like carrying books around, but some patterns need a bit more concentration than that. Still, this result is pretty enough, and I know where I went wrong for next time.

On Saturday I have a lace workshop, which I am really looking forward to. We are making lace straps, for a top. I will take my camera.

I may regret this but....

2010-06-05T09:00:00.000+02:00

I may regret this because I am bidding on a couple of items, but this lady is selling off tatting and lacemaking stuff, and no-one seems to be bidding. Perhaps one of my readers might be interested?

A new book, and a new thread.

2010-05-23T19:18:00.001+02:00

After reading a post by Sharon I decided to buy her book "Marvellous Motifs" and it arrived on Saturday. I discovered that the patterns were quite challenging, but that is good. My first effort was a rose, which was also a way of emptying shuttles. I then tried the first motif...but misread the pattern.
I will be trying again once I have emptied the shuttles. Watch this space!

This edging is from Mary Konior's Visual Patterns, and is called Asters. The thread is one dyed for me by Frances. It doesn't have a name, but I would call it "Woodland Path". I think I might try making a gecko in this thread, once I have finished the edging.

I am planning to use it to edge a little sachet like Tatskool did in this post...well I have to make a sachet, yet, so don't hold your breath!

Good news, for me

2010-05-17T23:22:00.000+02:00

I went to a sheep fair on Sunday...and there was a lacemaker there! I was really pleased, she teaches, and is prepared to give me lessons. Look at this lace, made with wool. It is a special wool that hasn't been carded, and so it isn't as elastic as normal wool.

This is similar to Honiton, or perhaps it is Honiton, we couldn't discuss it at the time, but I am so happy to think I will at last be able to improve my lacemaking!

And this is a little motif in the Peace HDT, but it still isn't the right colour. The motif is called "Rose des Vents" which seemed suitable.

Finished Libra doily

2010-05-15T10:03:00.000+02:00

Last night I finally finished this doily. It is an interesting design, because it has eleven repeats. On the whole circular designs are based around even numbers, so not only an odd number, but a prime number seems an interesting choice.

As I said previously, the name seems astrological and that would be another reason to choose twelve repeats, still, here it is, as designed. The thread is beautiful and I wish I had a better scanner to show the colours. I had just enough to complete this design, which added to the fun. I always tat faster when I am running out of thread, does anyone else do that?

Oh noes!

2010-04-19T15:37:00.000+02:00

I often read about people's tatting corner, and Tatting Tea Tuesday, and feel quite sad that I can't share in the fun. I tat where I can, and Tuesday is always a working day as the new arrivals come that day. Still, after lunch today I took my cup of tea into the garden with my shuttles and settled in a patch of sunshine.

Raphael was with me, and he took a couple of pictures of me at work.... and I look like an old lady! When did that happen, I still feel young, but I look positively ancient.

Collar, mark 2, and a doily

2010-04-06T21:51:00.003+02:00

I had a quiet day at work on Monday and so I finally finished mark 2 of the collar, and sewed it on to an old cardigan. I have never actually worn my own work before and feel a bit embarrassed about it. Still, I am showing you guys, and if it looks too awful I can always remove it!

Then I started a doily in "Stardate". This doily is called "Libra" and is from the first book by Pascal Provost.

Actually the French for the astrological sign is 'Balance' so it doesn't really have much relevance. All this reminds me of the time when Raphael, aged about 8, appeared one morning and said;
"So, David, what are you?"
"What am I what?"
"Well, like Taurus, Herpes, Pisces...you know."
"Er, Herpes isn't a sign..."
"What is it then?"
"Generally it's a sexually transmitted disease..."

Actually Raph was born at the end of December, which makes him a Capricorn, and pretty difficult to live with. As we keep reminding him, Jesus was a Capricorn and they ended up crucifying him!
Of course, I'm only teasing, I don't believe in Astrology...well, I'm an Aquarius and we aren't quite as gullible as the other signs. :P

New threads, and a new book

2010-03-23T10:54:00.006+01:00

This is what I was tatting when the new threads arrived from Yarnplayer. It is the little motif from Blomqvist and Persson, done in King Tut and the very fine red silk.

Here are the threads, but why oh why is it so difficult to capture the colours successfully? This isn't even close.

This is the first thing I made, using the free gift of Tourmaline, another favourite pattern from the same book as above.
Then, while looking around Leclerc in Cahors I discovered that Pascal Provost had published a new tatting book. One of the patterns in it was actually called Tourmaline! Of course I had to buy it.

This is just a quick try of one of the patterns, using up what was left on the shuttles...but not quite having enough! I didn't choose the Tourmaline pattern though.

You remember this motif, which I made here in white silk?

Well, I think it is a good one for showing off HDT, as it allows the gradations to move into each other, and also uses quite a lot of thread, so that you get to see the repeats.

Sadly, I miscalculated this one, which is made in the beautiful colour, "Peace" but is missing the final petal. (The pattern is by Mary Konior from "Tatting in Lace" and is called Angelica.)
Why do I feel the need to apologise when I don't finish of the ends? Still it does spoil the image.

Another bookmark

2010-03-05T22:17:00.003+01:00

This was not the pattern I wanted to do, this is Kelly Lubiack's bookmark but I wanted to do the design by Leonore English. Unfortunately I couldn't get the link to work no matter how I tried, has it gone for good, I wonder? :(
By the way, I had to install comment moderation due to a load of Chinese spam, and hadn't put in e-mail warning....so I didn't realise there had been any comments, sorry to anyone who wondered if they had been "rejected".
I have not been terribly productive, I am working on a larger collar, but it is very slow, however I have ordered some thread from Yarnplayer, which I am hoping will inspire me.
(These threads are from Tatskool; Rainbow Bright and Indigo, which are favourites of mine, and cheer me up as I wait for this late, late Spring.)

Do any of you like making your own books?

2010-02-22T18:30:00.003+01:00

I have already mentioned my friend Frances, she was making hand-dyed threads in 2006 when I first started this blog. She is an embroideress, and really talented creator of books, and I have had some lovely presents from her. Today she sent me a bookmark with a copy of her newly published book. It is stunning, and I am almost tempted to try myself...almost,my but not quite. I will go on just giving her scraps of my tatting and lace that she can incorperate into her work.

Size matters!

2009-12-28T22:59:00.004+01:00

It is often said that size doesn't matter...however I have a problem here. My collar, made from the pattern Eunice in Lyn Morton's book "Tatting Patterns", is very pretty but it would probably be rather tight on a baby! It just fits around the base of a wine glass. I guess the silk thread is rather finer than the size 20 Altin Basak thread that she suggests. I have no idea how one might adjust a pattern like that to make it bigger...I will have to try a different pattern.

This motif come from Myra Piper's book and is called "Forget-me-not". Here I was using a fine silk thread, perhaps 100? Anyway although I had previously made this pattern in a larger thread with no problem, in this size the outer round just didn't fit.
Luckily this is not a problem nowadays, for Sherry takes all tatting scraps, willingly, to use for her pottery, so nothing is actually wasted. :)
P.S. look TattingChic , for once I actually sewed in those ends on the collar!

Some silk fragments, and more pictures from Melbourne

2009-12-19T18:39:00.003+01:00

This was a typical lacy building in the city.

I love how they have decorated these trees, using vintage bits of doilies, and it gives me ideas of how I could use my box of tatted bits...

This is a rather poor scan of some of the silk tatted into stuff. I am also working on a white collar, but it keeps twisting into a spiral, I will have to see how it works when I add in the second row.
I am guessing the silk works out at around 40 or 50 size. The multi coloured bookmark is in 100 cotton from Gütermann, Rosie said it looked as if it had been commissioned by Google!
Sorry for the mess of ends, especially as I have new needles and some excellent needle threaders, so no excuse not to get it all perfect!

Tatting in Melbourne

2009-12-05T18:35:00.003+01:00

This beautiful tatting was displayed in a shop in Melbourne. I went in there to buy a pack of clover shuttles, not because I needed them, but because if I see shuttles anywhere I collect them. The girl working in the shop, (?Jones? in Collins Street) was very friendly and I was able to show her my tatting, because she is taking lessons with the lady who did this work.

I also found a shop selling silks, and I went in to look at the different materials. There were some reels of thread, in bright colours, and as I have enjoyed tatting with LadyShuttleMaker's silk I decided to risk buying a reel and see if it would work. It isn't the easiest thread to use, but I love the result. My computer is downstairs so I can't scan the motifs that I have done so far, but I will as soon as I can.

I have finished Cornelia

2009-11-05T12:47:00.001+01:00

I am so pleased, I finished Cornelia this morning. I had just enough thread.

Time isn't the only thing that is running out!

2009-10-30T09:31:00.003+01:00

I am due to go to Australia on the 8th November, to spend some time with my eldest daughter. The travelling time is 36 + hours from when I leave home on Sunday lunchtime to arriving on Tuesday morning in Melbourne, and obviously much of my awake time I would like to be tatting, while I listen to my Mp3 player. But which pattern, which thread? I haven't made my mind up at all yet.

Cornelia is making slow progress, and I would really like to finish it before I leave, as there isn't enough work to last for a whole journey. I am a tad worried that I won't have enough thread to finish, again. I had thought two skeins would be plenty, after the business with Beatrice, but of course Cornelia is a bigger doily. I would recommend the David Reed Smith shuttles for work like this, my one holds the most thread of any of my shuttles while at the same time being light and maniable.

This is another of the Myra Piper designs in black. Not finished or blocked, but quite pretty, nonetheless. Perhaps I should stick with several small designs during the voyage, but then I would need a book of patterns....

2009-09-24T09:05:00.003+02:00

I haven't done much tatting all through the summer, just a few motifs from the Myra Piper book kindly sent by Diane. This is the only one I can find at the moment, and it was made with some thread that was given after David came back from his mother's funeral. She had been a keen lacemaker, and tatter, but I think this wasn't tatting thread, it wasn't six ply.

Then I decided to make Cornelia, from Iris Niebach's book of doilies, in Sherry's lovely silk thread. This colour is Vickie's Lilacs. It has taken me a week to do the first quarter...it may not be finished as speedily as I would like, so I am showing the work in progress.

Holidays and Hobbies

2009-07-18T20:01:00.002+02:00

This is just a thought...but I was listening to a radio programme about the way people like to take holidays that link with their hobby, and I thought that it would be fun if there were tatting holidays. I don't know if anyone would be interested, but I asked David if he would allow some tatters to come and stay a week in the gites, and he said that anytime between September and June would be ok. I wonder if anyone would be interested? Leave a comment or e-mail me if it sounds an interesting idea to you. (I know this bit of France isn't exactly lace-making territory, but if we all got together it could be fun?)

Hommage to Pamela and Jane

2009-07-15T22:52:00.002+02:00

I was very impressed by this pattern from the first time I saw it...but felt it was much too complicated for me to attempt. If anyone else has been put off, then I encourage them to give it a try. I did not try to do two colours or add beads down the back, and I still managed to have the eye beads on the wrong shuttle but despite that I think he looks cute. The thread is an vintage reel, probably about a 60, as my little fellow measures 4 inches long. The beads were a couple of those little seed ones from my daughter's beading box. The pattern is from Jane's site, (not the naughty one!) and is called Pamela's gecko. On Pamela's page you can see her collection of geckos, which are truly brilliant, but if like me you were afraid to try then don't be. You do have to follow the pattern step by step, at no point can you just "wing it", or you'll find yourself unpicking, but otherwise it's quite easy.

lace and kittens

2009-06-15T21:26:00.003+02:00

This is a picture of my first attempt at Honiton Lace. I bought 36 bobbins on ebay..(oh, what a tempting place that is...I have just bought myself Mary Konior's Tatting in Lace for £5.52) and so I attempted the first two practice strips from Suzanne Thompson's Introduction to Honiton Lace. The threads are very fine, 120 perhaps, and I pulled the first strip to bits as I pulled the pins out. :(

For the link...it's now in my blog list under "life, death and what not to wear..." but I'm afraid the kittens still haven't opened their eyes yet, they obviously haven't read my particular cat care manual which suggests a week as the correct time.

Missing link

2009-06-08T00:04:00.002+02:00

I took down the link to my live journal a while back, because I didn't think it was very useful, but if anyone was interested in my other life please let me know and I will put it back. Todays entry for example, contains kittens! (Yes, not that exciting, really)

Comfort tatting

2009-06-04T15:42:00.004+02:00

I should have included this motif in the last post, I did it to try Yarnplayer's Ocean deep HDT. It is always difficult to find the right motif to show the changing colours to their best advantage. This is Masquerade from Mary Konior's book "Tatting with Visual Patterns".
Then I returned to my comfort zone of size 80 thread, and did a snowflake from Jon's book. This one is Astral, done in Tatskool's indigo and Rainbow Bright. Yes, I do need to spend some time finishing the ends, I will, I promise!

My final offering is Heart's Desire by Susan Fuller which I had seen on Mike's blog and Pamela's, but I couldn't find the pattern. I at last found it on a side link chez Tatting Chic. Again Rainbow Bright, this time paired with another favourite thread, Rainforest, by LadyShuttleMaker.

Slow progress

2009-06-02T12:30:00.003+02:00

It is a strange thing how hard it can be to tat, and in all the time since my last post I have only done a third round on "Flowery meadow" and had a go at the spinning wheel pattern. I don't think my tatting abilities are flattered by the thicker thread, but it has been interesting to see the difference. The HDT is Yarnplayer's Fern, and it is lovely...it is just that my work is not very good when you can see the details!

Trying the new thread

2009-04-14T22:17:00.002+02:00

New thread, new shuttle...old pattern. I thought I would have another go at Flowery Meadow from Blomqvist and Perrson only this time I have managed the second row without a mistake.

Extreme Tatting

2009-04-13T19:21:00.002+02:00

Once I had received my goodies I was keen to finish this square from the Iris Niebach book and start trying out the new threads and shuttles.

So I tatted this despite loads of interruptions and distractions; from the dogs, who are both on heat, and Raphaël who is on holiday and therefore rather more demanding than usual, the cats, one of whom has tummy trouble, plus various visitors and phone calls. I am amazed, it's not top quality but I don't think I've actually made a mistake, and goodness knows it's quite a complex pattern.

Amazing surprise

2009-04-11T11:22:00.002+02:00

When Diane began her bobbin lace I offered to send her some pattern plastic, and she offered to send me some different threads, which was really kind. I didn't expect this incredibly generous parcel of goodies! but I am really pleased to receive them. There are three skeins of Yarnplayer's beautiful HDT, which is a nouveauté for me, and I am looking forward to trying them. There are two, yes two, new lacis shuttles and a whole ball of Lizbeth thread, plus whole balls of Coats and Clark's in my favourite size 80, plus a ball of DMC special dentelles in an Easter shade of yellow. The tatting book is by Myra Piper, and is full of pretty snowflake patterns. I count myself very lucky to have such a kind and generous friend! Big thank you, Diane.

New shuttle and an edging

2009-03-08T19:34:00.003+01:00

This edging has taken me ages because I have been caught up with work and studying, but I am showing it, plus my latest shuttle, because TattingChic asked me to. Yes, I too was wooed by the beauty of this delightful shuttle from Shuttle Shop. It is wound with Tatskool's Rainbow Bright HDT in size 80 and I plan to continue with another pattern from a previously unused book. The edging is from "Tatted Handkerchiefs" by Kirstine and Inge Lise Nikolajsen and I cheated by making it just big enough to decorate a photo frame or a greetings card. A whole handkerchief would have taken me too long....lol!

Sharon has asked me what makes me inspired about a pattern and what turns me off.

I have given quite a bit of thought to this...

1, I like it to look "lacy"

2, I like symmetry and repeats.

3, I am not so keen on figurative stuff, not for me butterflies or animals.

4, I like a challenge...yes Hen and Chicks is pretty, but I do want something that makes me have to think, a bit anyway!

Celtic motif

2009-02-04T11:17:00.002+01:00

This is from Rosemarie Peel's book "Tatting for Pleasure" and is done in King Tut quilting thread lapis lazuli.

By the way, I am not pleased with the way my scanner scans tatting...I turn the brightness down and increase the resolution, but it still seems to come out all shiny. Any suggestions?

Rehab tatting and Affluenza

2009-01-19T23:36:00.003+01:00

I have been exercising my wrist with a few oddments. Firstly I had a go at clunies or point d'espirit. It had been difficult with bobbins to get them even and the same size...and my tatted ones are no better!
I finished off a couple of shuttles with Mary Konior's "curds and whey" in 100 gutermann and 80 DMC.
I used Pamela's Coral Reef for this motif based on triangles and split rings from the Ring of Tatters magazine.

I had been listening to a programme about "Affluenza" the disease of the Western World, where we want more than we need, and we buy stuff and it makes us unhappy...and I got to thinking about tatting books I have bought, but never done a pattern from. I decided that 2009 would see a change, and so this is a motif from a book I haven't used before. Frivolité by Bernadette Baldelli.

Don't buy it! It's not much good, the patterns aren't very inspiring and the instructions aren't very illuminating either. This was patterned to be worked in 4 rounds, but with a split ring and my first ever split chain I managed it in one go.

I hope the next book is better!

Pink Lace

2009-01-15T15:55:00.003+01:00

I have decided to give up on my pink lace sample...I needed to undo quite a bit of it because I had a pair in the wrong place, and as I return to work on Monday I knew it wasn't going to happen!
I am quite pleased to have got this far, and I have learnt how to do footside much better, and roseground.
The thread was Valdani 50 colour precious pansies.
Now I have to relearn how to use my right hand, and it is painful, LOL!
My challenge for 2009 is to do Elisadusud's point d'esprit . These video lessons make it look quite simple!

Wrist advice

2009-01-01T18:01:00.002+01:00

I wonder if any of you who has already broken their wrist may be able to offer some advice. My boss rang on Tuesday to ask if I could go back to work 10 days early, but I don't think I can legally as my sick note has the date marked on it. So I will have to make up from the first day back and work the first ten days non-stop. The thing is my wrist is still painful, so when the splint comes off how good will it be? Does the pain and stiffness wear off fairly quickly? When I look at the timetable they've set out for me I quail somewhat.

Having said that I wish you all a very happy and healthy new year, and look forward to seeing more of your beautiful tatting. (And thank you for all the comments and good wishes, which have been much appreciated.)

Tatting and bobbin lace

2008-12-19T20:18:00.003+01:00

I didn't say, but actually my wrist was fractured in the fall and I have to wear a splint thing until mid January. I have tried to tat but it's frustrating, and painful. The b2b doiley was my project in England, and I managed to make several mistakes, but am too lazy to change them.

On the other hand I have been looking at my lace books and finally I prepared a pricking and twenty (yes, twenty!) pairs of bobbins to do a piece of lace.

It's a little bit clumsy, but I have done the cloth stitch squares and a little bit of roseground. I haven't managed the the two footsides very well, but plan to sort that even yet....

I have never had this many bobbins, it's quite a jumble. I should be doing half stitch for the next section, but I am tempted to do cloth stitch, because then the bobbins stay in pairs, and I use the fact that they have matching spangles to help me.

No tatting for me, for a few days anyhow.

2008-11-24T19:53:00.004+01:00

I have been over to the UK for a week to visit my mother. While I was there we went to Honiton, because I wanted to visit the Lace Museum...but it was shut for the winter.

I did find a book on Honiton Lace, plus I bought a 2nd hand copy of the Guild of Lace Magazine describing a visit to nearby Killerton House, and a really good booklet on Torchon Lace. The next day though I put my back out, and was struggling to do anything. The voyage home on Friday, with me having to drive the hire car to the airport, and then sit in the plane, and then drive my car home was all very painful. Then...this morning I was filling the car with fuel, (or trying to) and I fell over! So stupid! I lay there on the forecourt in the dark and rain and diesel puddles and wondered if I was ever going to be able to get up again, but then I pulled myself together, stood up, and surveyed the damage. My glasses were smashed, and my wrist hurt, and also my knees, and my back was no better for the incident but that was all. I was allowed home early from work, and slept all afternoon, and I feel much better, but until I get some new glasses, and my wrist improves I can't do much lace, or even read very well.

As you can see, it has done nothing for my looks either. Luckily David left for England on Saturday, or people might think we had had a disagreement!

Thoughts on groups

2008-11-10T10:49:00.005+01:00

I really like the online tatting community, it's so friendly, encouraging and sympathetic. People only seem to have kind or helpful comments, and if anyone has a problem then there are always good samaritans who willingly provide the appropriate aid. I just wanted to say how much I enjoy being a part of it. :)
I also belong to the "Ring of Tatters" and have just received the Autumn Newsletter. I can recommend the group to all my tatting friends, in the latest issue there are articles by Jane and Linda, plus several interesting patterns and ideas, as well as an article on rings of all kinds.
I was trying out some ideas with Sherry's beautiful silk threads...I wanted to make a pattern from Anne Orr with three shuttles, but it didn't work. The second row would not lie flat, so I cut it off, and decided to try a simple pattern in one colour from the same book. I also tried some of the simple shuttle motifs from the newsletter. They are designed to be done with two shuttles and linked together with split rings, and are both simple and effective.

Some more things

2008-10-31T10:46:00.003+01:00

I have managed to complete Beatrice after some invaluable help from Sherry, who found a spare length of "Peach Pandeora" thread. Here it is, but I am having trouble with my scanner, and the first scan made a file too big to transfer.

I then wanted to try the silk thread, "Royalty", so I made Judith, again following one I had seen on Diane's page.

Finally, this motif, from Blomqvist and Persson's book, is not made in Rainbow Bright! The trouble with HDT is that it comes in finite quantities, and so I have become rather careful, not wanting to waste it. This thread is an ordinary machine embroidery thread from Gutermann, and the colours are not so bright, or so well blended. Still I wanted to see how it would look in this classic motif. It is very small, I am guessing the thread to be approx size 100, and when I miscounted it was nearly impossible to undo, so I didn't bother!

Rainforest things

2008-10-29T11:38:00.003+01:00

I have after a lot of struggling finished my rainforest dragon. It has a few mistakes, but it is my first piece of figurative work, and I am quite pleased with the way it looks.

With the left over rainforest thread I made "Aladdin" with rainbow bright for the second row, in the same way as Pamela did.

Names

2008-10-17T21:55:00.002+02:00

I have tried to use people's names in my blog list...I like real names, and faces, and feel uncomfortable when bloggers are too selective with the information they choose to share...but then I realised that my own name might seem like a pseudonym.
I was christened (yes, once upon a time I was a christian!) Katherine Eirlys David, and as Eirlys is Welsh for Snowdrop, (my father was Welsh) my name was "shortened" to Snowy. In France I am called Katherine or Kate, because Snowy contains too many unfamiliar sounds (and no, Tintin's dog is not called Snowy in France, but Milou, I tried that already!)
Otherwise my friends all call me Snowy, and while I don't think it particularly suits me, (when I was at school a friend asked me if it was because I looked like a rabbit...) I am not sure that I can think of an alternative, so there we go.
My brother's name is Morgan, usually shortened to Morg....one of his friends at university once asked me "Is he called Morgue because he's such a miserable bastard?"
Typical sisterly solidarity, I answered "Yes"!
If anyone doesn't like being "named" for their blog, please contact me, and I'll change it.

Rainbow Snowflake

2008-10-12T15:51:00.002+02:00

I wanted to try Pamela's challenge of a rainbow snowflake, so I chose a pattern in Jon's book called Pirouette, and had a go. I hate this scanner because the colours are so much brighter in real life, but I hope you get an idea. It was so clever the way the colour repeat just did one spoke of the snowflake each time. I missed a chain in the last spoke, (grrr!) but I am so pleased with this otherwise.

Pamela's rainbow

2008-10-08T20:09:00.002+02:00

Here on my desk is a skein of Pamela's rainbow thread which arrived today. With it was a sample of Coral Reef, and so now I have a snowflake to make, as well as a dragon. I had better start winding my shuttles! ps, the Gutermann is there as well as various other bits and pieces.

Green doodles

2008-10-08T10:11:00.002+02:00

I have been playing with Sherry's "rainforest", with the idea of making one of Anne's dragons, but first I had to learn Single Shuttle Split Rings. That was kind of fiddly.
I decided I had understood enough to start, but then made a mistake on the stitch count, and then the thread snapped when I was pulling the ring tight. I wonder if anyone else has the problem of gaps between the rings, I think I have pulled up close but by the time the ring is pulled tight there is a big space.

I decided to abandon the dragon for the moment and see how it would look to combine the "rainforest" with a machine embroidery thread, which seems much finer, so I had a go at an edging from Mary Konior's book. I don't think it can be the different sizes that causes it to curve like that, but any way I have finished the shuttle, and I certainly like the colour combination.

You need really to click and enlarge the photo, the rainforest is 80, and the machine thread is Gutermann Sulky, probably about 100.

(By the way I used Tattingchic's method for thread winding, putting a cushion inside the skein, and it worked really well, despite interruptions from phone and dogs!)

Bookmark

2008-10-04T23:08:00.003+02:00

Raphael is a boarder this year at a school in Sarlat. As in all French schools there are no lessons on Wednesday afternoons as this is when they are meant to learn about God(s). Very few children actually do so, and if I am not actually working I go and take him out for the afternoon, to worship his favorite god, Manon. We usually buy him the latest book in the Manga series that he's following and then just wander about looking at the shops and then after sitting in a café for a chocolat chaud or an ice cream depending on the weather, we return in time for evening etude. It was in this way I discovered a little shop selling patchwork and embroidery supplies, and I ended up buying some quilting or embroidery threads. They aren't perfect for tatting, a little too fluffy, but the colours are pretty, and here is Mary Konior's Black Magic done in blues. I am not sure if this reminds me more of tempered steel or a forgotten yoghurt discovered under a teenager's bed, but either way it's an interesting mix of pinks and blues. My scanner doesn't do it justice.

Poor Beatrice, and hearts

2008-10-01T22:46:00.002+02:00

Beatrice is unlikely to be finished, I have all but run out of thread, and stupidly I didn't buy any more at the time, and now there isn't any. Still, that's ok, because this doily reminds me of another Beatrice, my sad little princess in a chateau. At the time I was caring for her she was aged 38, but an attack of measles when only 18 months had left her severely mentally handicapped and suffering from rather unstable epilepsy.

It was my job to wash and dress her each day, and set up her feeding pump, and then in the evening I would put her to bed. She had been cared for by her mother until she had died of cancer and now she was the responsibility of her father. I personally felt that she'd have been happier in an institution, but he wouldn't hear of it, so poor Bea spent day after day alone in the kitchen of the chateau, like some poor imprisoned princess in a fairy tale. I quit that job in 2002, but I often think of her, and how her face would light up as I let myself in, and this doiley seems appropriate in it's incompletion...oh well, that's my excuse anyway.

The second heart is off the pillow, and I probably ought to have undone and remade it, because by the end I had a clearer idea of how it should work, but I couldn't face it! I won't wait so long before doing some more bobbin stuff, and so the next trial should be a little better. (should be, lol)

This is what it looks like when you put the two together, and that was the original design...to be used for a greeting card! It would have to be for someone very special for all that work! I don't think I possess that much emotion...I don't really do love, although I do quite like some people...but enough for a card like this, hmmm I think not!

Torchon heart, but not right...

2008-09-14T19:27:00.004+02:00

You will need to click on these photos to see the problem, but I have definately got some threads crossed. The bobbins were wound with matching spangles, but they don't all match any more.
I am showing this so you can see how it works, it's a sort of weaving, with the weight of the bobbins providing the tension. The fans are done in cloth stitch which is quite simple, two workers weaving in and out of the passives. The ground stitch is more complicated, with more pins, and I get lost knowing which pairs to do next. Practice helps, and I am ploughing on, because I hope to get round and then try again.
Helpful suggestions are welcome.

Bobbin Lace Heart

2008-09-11T12:23:00.003+02:00

This is from a book Lace for Children of All Ages, and is my first attempt at something other than bookmarks or edgings. OK, it's full of mistakes, but I'm pleased with it, and plan to try another one, a little more complicated, very soon!

HDT help

2008-09-06T23:27:00.002+02:00

Last time I unravelled a skein of hand dyed thread I ended up with a tangle that took me hours to sort out. Before I try again has anyone got any helpful suggestions as to how to go about it?
Thanks in advance.

Ça y est! bookmark finished

2008-08-30T13:51:00.003+02:00

J'ai montré la nouvelle a coté de celui j'ai fait il y a cinq ans. Je pense que il y a une amelioration, en tout façon je le crois....

Etape 3

2008-08-28T17:17:00.002+02:00

Voila j'ai fait le tour en jaune, et ça va mieux deja! J'éspere finir demain ou au pire samedi.
Here it is with the yellow edging done, looking rather better. I am hoping to be finished by tomorrow or Saturday.

Etape 2

2008-08-27T13:25:00.002+02:00

J'ai fini tous les sept petits motifs. C'est assez simple, mais c'est qui est embetant c'est de gaspillé du fil si on a trop mis sur la navette, ou, une fois, pas assez! Pour ceux qui n'ont pas encore fait cet etape, je dirai, a peu pres...75cm sur la navette. Et puis ensuite il faut caché tous les bouts des fils.

Evidement, ce n'est pas tres bien monté dans les photos, mais aujourd'hui j'ai commencé la troisieme etape, et ça tient tout mieux en place.
For those who have asked for a translation...
I have finished the seven little motifs, which was quite easy, the worst bit was wasting thread, or not having enough. If you haven't done this bit yet I would suggest about 75 cm. Then afterwards you have to hide all the ends.
Obviously it's not looking too good in the photos, but today I started the third stage, and that pulls everything into place.

Je me lance!

2008-08-22T20:26:00.004+02:00

Voici le progres en fin de la premiere journée, avec 4 metres de fil sur une navette et 6 metres sur l'autre. Le fil est DMC dentelles, et c'est un peu trop fine pour cette projet... mais c'est ca que j'ai et donc tant pis!

Et voila la situation hier soir, etape 1, c'est fini. Aujourd'hui j'etais pris dans la preparation infernal pour la rentrée de mon fils. Il fait son sixieme dans une college a Sarlat, comme interne, et je suis epuisé a la suite des courses! (Mon portefeuille aussi!)

New challenge

2008-08-20T17:24:00.005+02:00

I have joined a "tat-a-long" doing LaRae's Celtic bookmark on the site of my friend from Brussels, Bidouillette.

This means leaving to one side both Beatrice, (well I need to order more thread anyway) and the basic doily (which is being a bit fiddly at the moment ) and the snowflake project from Jon's book. This is the latest, "twirly" with the ends not hidden.

For the tat-a-long I will write in (not very good ) french, to be more accessible to my new french friends, this means the posts will be mostly photos!

Learning Curve

2008-07-27T22:07:00.003+02:00

I have a lot to learn...and I am a slow learner!
This was my first batch of hand-dyed thread, so I had never tried to persuade thread to cease being a skein and become a neat manageable ball. Did I check what others had done, or look on Google or yarn websites? None of these things, I launched straight into the silky stuff and within twenty minutes I had a tangle that took me two hours to sort out! Pamela warned me that I needed at least fifty yards to complete Beatrice, but I had started already. All my friends suggested it was a pattern that needed oodles of concentration, but despite that I just keep tatting in odd five minutes at work and then making mistakes... I was in the middle of this ring when a women turned up to demand that I look at her mother's toenails, by the time I had listened to her harangueing me for ten minutes about how disgraceful it was that her mother had become incontinent, and we were doing nothing about it, it was time for the evening meal and all that entails! (It is so hot here, and definately not wheelchair pushing weather)
Having said that, this thread is extremely forgiving, and I have unpicked some (but not all) of my mistakes, and I shall get some more, and finish the doiley come hell or high water or nagging relatives, and you will all get to admire it! (yes, you will!)

In Black and White, and now In Colour!

2008-07-18T12:45:00.004+02:00

I was doing a little blackwork, slowly advancing on my sampler, when the post arrived. I had a letter from America, which surprised me, I don't really know anyone from there, but when I opened it....it was my threads from Sherry! I had assumed they would come from Seoul, but obviously she has some arrangement for the delivery with US mail.

Anyway, the threads are beautiful and I am afraid that the photo won't do them justice. I am already starting to unwind the silk Peach Pandorea, with the idea to use it for the Beatrice doiley! It is size 20, which is something of a departure for me, but I feel sure it will make a stunning combination. I can't wait to get tatting, but also wanted to share my delight with my fellow enthusiasts.

Big thank you Sherry!

Pretty or pants

2008-07-14T15:45:00.004+02:00

For those readers who aren't english 'pants' is a word for 'rubbish' or 'crap'! I have made a couple more snowflakes and at the same time as working my way through Jon's book I am also working my way through a box of DMC dentelles threads that I bought on e-bay. Variegated threads can be really effective sometimes but others they just look like vomit! This first one is called "Spring Blossom" and I thought I would choose a colour to fit the vernal theme. I don't think it has worked that well.

This one is called Astral, and I think the colour works better on this one.

Another problem for me is deciding how much thread to wind on the shuttles...no-one likes to waste thread, but joining two rings from the end is also really frustrating. For Astral I wound three metres onto shuttle 1 and 8 metres onto shuttle 2, this was too much, 1.5 and 7 would probably have been ample. Spring Blossom I forgot to note down, but it was just short on the last round and I had to join.

B2B doiley 4th round

2008-07-12T21:45:00.002+02:00

I hadn't counted properly, and this is actually the fourth round, it has taken ages and a load of thread! Now it is a bit ruffleyat the edge, perhaps that will sort out with the next row, but I am going to have a pause as it is quite similar to this row and I feel like a break, time for another snowflake I think.

By the way, I love the blog roll feature and am planning to add lots more as I like the way they show the latest update, but I haven't yet, time factors causing delay.

Weird thing

2008-07-08T21:17:00.002+02:00

I received a package in the post this morning...and I only vaguely remembered ordering it, It came from Roseground and I ordered it very late one night last week, after wandering around the tatting blogs.
So I opened my little box, wondering what I had, in my tired, and possibly slightly inebriated state, bought...
Iris Niebach's Tatting Doilies, a green "Sew Mate" shuttle and a pretty hand turned hook. This rang a bell and I started looking back, and found this entry from Dianne! I think Beatrice must have impressed me more than I was aware!
Now, I keep looking at Sherry's new silk threads...
Having said that I am only half way through with the next round on my current doiley, I ran out of thread which I couldn't believe, but I have a new shuttle attached now. Not a scrap of blu-tack in the house when it happened, a lack which I have remedied for next time.

Learning, and back to basics

2008-07-01T23:18:00.004+02:00

I have found blogging an excellent stimulus for learning and improving my work. Recently I bought Jon's book of snowflake patterns, and it has been a good way to learn and practise split rings and two shuttle work. These three are my first attempts.

I am also doing a back to basics doily, shuttle and ball, size 50 DMC cordonnet, from the french tatting book. I have only done two rows so far, and there are five, I wonder if I will ever complete it.

Help!

2008-06-23T22:23:00.002+02:00

I was looking at this and I couldn't think how I would use a double shuttle. Can anyone explain how they work?

Baby bootees finished

2008-06-19T17:09:00.002+02:00

At last I have finished these, even though they aren't quite as I would like...I would change the pattern of the flower. I liked the bootees that Sharon made.

A New Book

2008-05-30T20:39:00.002+02:00

I bought this book a week ago, via Amazon.fr and I have to say I can't really recommend it. It suggests it's a book for beginners, and indeed it has five pages of instructions, but I couldn't really say if they were easy to follow, being as I know that bit. Then there are some patterns, which are in general very pretty, but then we hit the problems. On some patterns there isn't even a stitch count on the diagram, let alone a suggestion of where to start or what order you should tat. There isn't much on whether you should use one or two shuttles or any other techniques.

Here are a couple of stars from a very pretty doiley pattern called Rose
one done with me discovering after I had begun that I should have wound two shuttles in CTM and managing by using the SLT. Then, serendipity, as Jon showed how to do self-closing mock rings, and so I tried that as an alternative method. I think it was successful and am not even sure now which is which.
The bootees are coming along slowly, one is finished and one is on the third row, but I am running out of thread! Who else struggles to make their thread last, like driving home really fast before the petrol runs out!
Also, does anyone have time to explain how to get an E-Tatters banner on this page? I see others have done it, but have no idea where to start!

Black bootees

2008-05-17T07:02:00.003+02:00

I have put a picture of progress on my black baby bootee on my other blog
There are quite a lot of other photos and the tatting is somewhere in the middle, so it's not for those in a hurry!

Latest work

2008-05-11T22:36:00.002+02:00

I haven't been posting, because it's difficult to scan on my computer and I have to use the one belonging to the man I live with. He doesn't mind that much, but he often seems to be using it himself.
Anyway, here are a few bits from the previous month.
First, a lilac square from Mary Konior's book.

A little brown square from A Tatter's Workbook.

This was the beginning of a square from Iris' book, but I didn't like the colour of the thread...sort of bilious, I felt, so I gave up.

And then I discovered that the man's eldest son and his girlfriend are expecting a baby, so I decided to have a go at the bootees as shown by Pamela...not knowing what sex the offspring might be I chose black, well, it goes with everything doesn't it? Mmm, I have been getting a lot of "Black is not really suitable for babies" feedback, but as I am bound to make too many mistakes I am carrying on regardless, this will just be a prototype.

You're so square

2008-04-07T17:48:00.002+02:00

This is my attempt at one of the squares from Iris Niebach's booklet Tatting Together, Square Motifs. I found it quite challenging, and this is a long way from being right, but I felt it was worth showing. Sometimes, bad tatting is as interesting as good... My excuse is that it was mostly done while on night-duty, which can be a jelly brain time. (Dealing with drunken phone calls at 2 am can be a bit distracting to the real business in hand!)

Music from Buddy Holly!

another square

2008-03-27T15:54:00.003+01:00

I'm not sure that this merits a post, but just to let you know I'm still here, and still, albeit slowly, tatting. Here are the previous patterns joined to make a square. I did as usual make a mistake...my excuse was that I waiting to be interrogated by the gendarmes after a weekend on night duty...but I'm certainly not going to start again!

Pink square

2008-02-26T19:02:00.002+01:00

This square is the same as Mrs. John did, but on one corner I put in one too many picots. I am showing it, because I enjoy looking and comparing different versions of the same pattern. This is Valdani 50 thread, precious pansies.

Some work and another book review

2008-02-18T10:30:00.006+01:00

I have been very tied up in boring work and not boring but rather stressful studying. My tatting has suffered somewhat, with loads of mistakes.

This is an example; David was in England for Christmas and brought home a load of handkerchieves that his mother had given him. My guess is she'd had them in a cupboard since the '70's as they were in really tacky colours, but one just matched a ball of variegated DMC special dentelles. I decided to make an edging for it, though what anyone would want with such a thing as a funky purple lace edged man's hanky... Anyway I haven't got very far, I keep making mistakes! (So the problem of what to do with it is in the distance for the moment!)

Another pattern I am working on is this one from Mary Konior's book. It requires aboout 16 motifs to be joined together, and the first motif was completely disasterous, but I have at last achieved two...I'll let you know if I manage to get any further.

I wanted to talk about another book, A Tatter's Workbook. The patterns are not my favourites, but I love her use of colour in her designs. It's a book I enjoy looking at more than working from, but it is always interesting to try the patterns, because it can be quite a puzzle between the words and the picture to work it all out! Here's a sample page, at random. You can see more if you click the link.

My book review

2008-01-24T16:37:00.000+01:00

I have been wondering whether to buy this book for ages. On one hand it has a very good review by Gina Buchanan, but on the other I wasn't that keen on the cover picture. Well, never judge a book by it's cover, because this is a wonderful book, with patterns and tips for all levels of tatters. This picture shows a shuttle only edging called "curds and whey" which is so simple but really pretty, and also the flower motif from the front cover. The diagrammes are really well explained and there's a good variety, edgings, motifs, collars and doillies.
I have taken on an Open University course which will be taking up a lot of my time, none-the-less I feel that this book will keep me inspired to do a little bit of tatting whatever the demands on my schedule.

Definitely gets five stars from me! (It was no longer available from Amazon, but if anyone is interested I found it at Handy Hands.)

Shuttle talk

2008-01-05T17:51:00.000+01:00

I enjoyed reading Sharon's post about shuttles and so I thought I would show you mine.
I learnt back in 1974 with an Aero shuttle, but I didn't like it. I didn't like the noise the bobbin made as it was unwound and then it was fiddly when it needed to be rewound for the chain. My next shuttle was a Milward shuttle which I think must be at my ex-husband's house as I haven't been able to find it. I liked that much better...but as I have said, tatting was laid aside while I trained as a nurse, had children, moved to France etc. Despite this I bought three shuttles in a little case from an antique market in Bath in the early eighties. I was pleased because the seller didn't know what they were for, so they were pretty cheap. They are in the bottom right of the picture, and one is metal, but the other two are made of bone or ivory. I have never used them, though I did use the hook that came with them. When I became interested again I found a packet of two plastic shuttles very cheap on a market stall in Sarlat. They would be better if I took the time to sand them down as they are very poorly finished, and have seams that catch on the thread. (bottom middle) I then decided to splash out on the pack from Clover, via internet, I think from Snowgoose, when I was buying materials for bobbin lace, and have never regretted it. I find them easy to wind, easy to use and I love the cheerful colours. The little pick end means I can tat with impunity on the most paranoid of airlines, and so I would give 5/5 to these ones.
The tortoiseshell plastic and blue plastic ones are made by Innox. The tortoiseshell are nice to work with, but a pain to wind. The blue is ok, but I bought it in Guerande with my daughter so I keep it for that.
The bone shuttle top left is for celtic tatting, it's from Handy Hands, and the other shuttle bottom right is from David Reed Smith. I like this one, which is reasonable to wind and holds lots of thread, but I should have ordered a second one as I like to use matching shuttles. I made sure not to make the same mistake with the Shuttle Shop!
You should click on the picture to see the shuttles clearly, and the hooks are from David Reed Smith, Lyn Morton, and the third was made by my partner from an old bobbin and a crochet hook.

Be still my beating heart!

2007-12-30T14:14:00.000+01:00

My christmas present to myself this year was this pair of beautiful shuttles. They are from the shuttle shop.
My first project with them was Sadie's heart from Teri Dusenbury's site, and it has proved quite a complicated pattern, I have had to restart twice and even now there are a couple of mistakes I have ignored. Originally it was for a colleague who retires on the 31st January and who collects hearts, but I think I will have to start again. I'm not sure about my choice of thread, perhaps a solid colour would be less distracting?
Edit: I am posting the finished heart.

Overflowing

2007-12-18T15:53:00.000+01:00

This is the cork board, where I usually pin up my finished work, I think I will have to start a new one!

Two more bits...

2007-12-11T07:35:00.000+01:00

I decided to see how it would look if I made three more squares, and it worked quite well...one mistake right at the end where I ran out of thread just on the last corner and then forgot to join the ring. Ends not hidden yet.
The snowflake is from the german book, and was designed to fit around an easter egg, but as soon as I saw it I wanted to do it in blue and yellow, I'm not sure why.

Grubby snowflake

2007-12-05T13:23:00.000+01:00

This motif is meant to be a snowflake, following what seems to be a seasonal theme in many blogs at the moment. I ought to wash it, because tatting by the stove, and fighting kittens has meant it has become rather grubby in certain places!
The pattern is again from the german book, and I am wondering now if it is actually a star...oh well.

Red square

2007-11-26T12:15:00.000+01:00

This was my first attempt at block tatting, and I didn't have access to an explanation, plus the pattern is from a german tatting book. Obviously it is just a motif from a bigger design, but I just wanted to try the technique in a small pattern to start off.
The thread is from Frances, a lovely thread, about a 50, and easy to work (and undo when necessary!)
Thank you to everyone for suggestions as to how to hide ends, with this one I managed to sew them through, sort of... but I am keen to perfect the magic threads method as I often tat with small threads and rather tightly, perhaps I'm rather a tense person!

Jon's daisy picot completed

2007-11-17T12:13:00.000+01:00

This was quite difficult for me, and took me a couple of tries before I managed to complete it correctly. I am grateful to Jon for her clear instructions. The threads are Valdani 50 "precious pansies" and King Tut "shekels".

Talking of threads, I see other tatters also have a "sample pattern" to give them an idea of how a thread will tat up. Here are a few of my samples...the smallest is Valdani 50, and the biggest is some hand dyed thread from my friend Frances.
I am still having difficulty hiding my ends, either I can't thread the needle or else I can't force it into the stitches, does anyone else have problems with this?

Pink doiley finished

2007-11-13T18:27:00.000+01:00

I am pleased to have finished without too many mistakes. Now I am struggling with the daisy picot snowflake, which isn't working at the moment.
(This is from the french frivolité book, with a design modification in the last row as I removed a little ring from the repeat so it would lie flat. The thread is Anchor 80 dentelles colour 8...)

Me, tatting.

2007-11-09T12:33:00.000+01:00

I think this shows some of the reasons the pink doiley is progressing so slowly. I apologize for the poor quality of the photo.

Past tatting, a watershed piece.

2007-11-05T11:22:00.000+01:00

This was tatted about five years ago, when I had just started tatting again. I learnt to tat in 1974, from a handicraft book, and then it waned as an interest due to the fact I couldn't find patterns. I did find a few old shuttles while browsing through antique markets, but apart from doing the odd little flower, to all intents and purposes I gave up.
Then I discovered the internet! Suddenly there were patterns, suppliers, new techniques...well everything a lost and lonely tatter could wish for.
This bookmark, designed by LaRae, was an important stage in my development as a tatter, as I learned to do both split rings and celtic tatting, plus it was my first experience of working with colour. I was so grateful to her, for sharing this pattern.
I am telling you about the past as I feel the need to keep posting, (no point in being in "the ring" if one doesn't,) but my progress on my pink doiley is rather slow, and I fear several more hours of work before I can show it. So I hope you'll forgive me for "cheating" a little.

Seven random things

2007-10-22T10:49:00.000+02:00

Laura has tagged me, so here are my answers.

Here are the rules which you must abide by if you are tagged.1. Link to your tagger and post these rules.2. Share 7 facts about yourself: some random, some weird.3. Tag 3 people at the end of your post and list their names (linking to them).4. Let them know they’ve been tagged by leaving a comment at their blogs.

1. I moved to France 18 years ago because my then husband wanted to get away from the neighbours, and be sure to have his own parking space.

2. I am fascinated by tuberculosis, having cared for many sufferers, and read many tb books, from "The White Death" through to "That's How it Was" and "The Magic Mountain". I have primary TB, but of course so does most of the world's population!

3. I have three children, Rosie, 24, who has a degree in Chinese and Oriental Art and Archeology, and a doppelganger who is an Australian porn star. Polly,22, who is studying to become a translator, and has bi-polar disorder and has attempted to kill herself about 11 times, and Raphael,10, who would like to be a stand-up comedian.

4. I have a deerhound, six cats, three chickens, a degu of Chile, and a tankful of fish.

5. I met my husband when he was 40, and I was 18, and left when I was 40 and he was 62.

6. I only wear stuff that is comfortable to me, so on my feet it's either Crocs or walking boots, and I never wear trousers.

7. I have lived without television for most of my life.

I tag
mightiadd

Pamela

Sylvia

Glad to be finished with this one

2007-10-12T11:22:00.000+02:00

I was using venus thread, and I certainly don't recommend it. It knots up at the first opportunity, it doesn't run smoothly and it splits when you try to join it through small picots. It was cheap, but I'll give it a miss another time!

Getting to know me....

2007-10-11T16:19:00.000+02:00

I thought I'd share a bit of useless information about myself, and if anyone else wants to do the survey, I'll be interested to read their results.
Best Survey
Name:: Snowy
Birthday:: January 23 1960
Birthplace:: Chichester, England
Where you live now:: Frayssinet le Gelat France
Hair color:: Brown fading to grey
Eye color:: Dishwater
Height:: 5'2.
Your biggest pet peeve:: People who assume I'm not working just because I'm at home in the daytime, (shiftwork, nights?)
Your biggest flaw:: Not motivated to actually do housework/cooking
Pepsi or coke:: Coke.
Water or Gatorade:: What on earth is Gatorade? (water sounds safer).
Do you smoke:: No.(10 years working in pneumologie)
Do you drink:: Yes.(2years working in alcoologie)
Do you club:: No
Do you swear:: Sort of (Hells bell and buckets of blood, or Jesus wept).
Do you do drugs:: No.
Do you want to go to the military:: Never.
Do you want to go to college:: I did want to, but I have Open University now.
Do you want to get married:: Never again.
Do you want to have kids:: I did and I had three of them.
Do you know how to dress:: I have a certain style.
Do you think that you are attractive:: I think I have a certain charm
Are you moody:: I have my moments.
Do you like rainy days:: Yes, I love them.
Can you cook a decent meal:: Look, it's not that I can't cook, it's that I won't cook, OK?
Ever been......
Beat up:: No, not really.
Fired:: Wimpy Bar, 1978.
Dumped:: sigh, yes.
Hired:: Yes.
Lied to:: Probably, I'm pretty gullible.
Cheated on:: Not as far as I know...
Shot:: No.
High:: Yes.
Deathly sick:: No.
Depressed:: I know I need help when I start thinking about euthanasia for the whole ward.
Homesick:: When I was at boarding school, yes.
Locked up:: Does boarding school count?
On a real date:: Yes
In the past month have you....
Been shopping:: Supermarket, veg, that's all.
Been on a date:: No.
Been to the movies:: No.
Been to a party:: No.
Written a song:: No.
Been cheated on:: I'm a kit car widow.
Are you a virgin:: Do I have to say?
Gay/Straight/Bi:: Straight.
Single or taken:: Not single.
Your favorite...
Food:: Moussaka with soya mince, brown rice and salad.
Drink:: Red wine.
Car:: Mine.
Place:: Massif Central or the Pyrenees
Color:: lapis lazuli.
Show:: The Mighty Boosh.
Store:: Waterstone's or any big bookshop.
Movie:: Death In Venice.
Artist:: Egon Schille.
Feature on a guy/girl:: sense of humour.
Number of piercings:: I've had my ears done but I get inflamation if I wear anything in them.
Number of tatoos:: I hate tatoos.
glasses/contacts/neither:: Glasses.
Love or money:: Neither.
Quiet or loud:: Quiet.
Country or city:: Country.
**RANDOM**
Ever been on the toilet and on the phone:: Frequently!
Ever accidently peed in your sleep:: Hm.... I don't think so.
Ever get up in the middle of the night for a snack:: No.
Ever wake up on the wrong side of the bed:: Yes.
Do you wish you were a different gender:: Never.
Do you believe in God:: No.
Ever split a nail:: Yes.
Did you like this survey:: Yes. I love these things.Take this survey Find more surveys Bzoink - The Original Survey Site

Lacemaking helpers

2007-10-01T21:35:00.000+02:00

This is a picture of Phoebe, one of four kittens I recently adopted. They arrived in a pretty poor state, needing antibiotics and general care, but now they are bouncing with health and providing much assistance in all activities. Tatting is just such an activity, and I now must untangle a ball of black cotton before I can finish that d****ed doiley!

Laura and lace

2007-09-25T18:21:00.000+02:00

A couple of weeks ago I gaily suggested to

Laura that bobbin lace was an easy hobby...well, yes, it is easy, like tatting is easy, that is the basic principle behind it is just "lift right over left", the problems only occur when you try to do something with it! I learnt the basic technique in 2003, but have actually done very little because the carreau, or galette, (or whatever they're called in english) are not all that easy to carry around! For the last 15 months I have been concentrating on tatting, so I decided to dig out my bobbins and have a go at a simple bookmark. Compared to virtuosos like Mark it's not very impressive, but I was relieved to find that I hadn't completely forgotten the technique. The edging on the carreau is one I had been working on previously, as I practised adding replacement bobbins and doing tallies. The picture quality isn't very good, autumn has arrived here and the light is fading fast!

A little bit of work

2007-09-03T16:26:00.000+02:00

I have had a rest from the black doiley, counting black stitches is a bit hard on my eyes! The bookmark is the same pattern as the green one I made. It's from an internet pattern that I've lost, and have re-done from sight.
The triangle is a motif in the frivolité book...there should be six to make a doiley, yes, I'm not sure I'll get around to that!

....on a roll

2007-08-18T15:41:00.000+02:00

I have been visiting the beautiful lace-making town of

Le Puy in the Haute Loire. I bought a new tatting book there;

La Frivolité I always enjoy looking at new patterns, and I needed a book in french, for when friends want to learn.

I have a passion for blue squares, this is one motif from a mat which uses 16 surrounded by a border. The black "work-in-progress is also from the book. The strange shape is me with shuttle-ends, and no pattern trying an idea for a cornfield inspired bookmark...I think I could probably get a bit nearer to what I want a second time. The reason for the title, and also the reason I haven't posted sooner, is the printer-scanner broke, and David discovered a bit of forgotten tatting in the roller...oops, sorry. It has been replaced, but it takes me a while to learn how to use new equipment, also David wasn't too keen to let me back into the office. I promise from now on all bits will be counted in and out, like swabs in surgery!